Model for the Calculation of Demoulding Force for Polyurethane Parts

Abstract

The manufacturing of polyurethane (PU) parts has an ever-increasing trend due to the production of cars. The automation of the demoulding of polyurethane car seats is a current problem the suppliers of car manufacturers have to face. The automation of other processes of seat foam production has already been solved but the problem of demoulding is still a much-investigated subject. To design robot grippers for this process we need to know the value of the demoulding force. We present a mathematical model for the calculation of this force for polyurethane seat-like foams in general. A material model is proposed that uses only those parameters that are available for the factories, and this model is compared with test results.